Instrument panel



Dec. 29, 1936. J. TJAARDA INSTRUMENT PANEL Original Filed Nov. 8', 1933INVENTOR. J25 Zjaarda.

Q JG ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 29, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT 6mm:

Original application November 8, 1933, Serial No.

Divided and this application October 23, 1935. Serial No. 46,295

12 Claims.

This invention relates to automobile or vehicle bodies and moreparticularly to the instrument or front interior panel thereof, anobject of the invention being to provide an attractive and novel frontor instrument panel having means forming a part thereof adapted toprovide a hand grip whereby front seat passengers may assist themselvesinto and out of their seats.

A further object of the invention is to provide, on the front finish orinstrument panel of the body, a handle or grip located within convenientreach of the front seat passengers when seated in the body as well aswhen entering or leaving the same, the grip being formed or positioneddirectly in the instrument panel .or in the belt bar extendingtransversely below the windshield opening.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing description when taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawing and the novel features thereof will be pointed out and clearlydefined in the claims at the close of this specification.

This application is a division of my co-pending application, Serial No.697,115, filed November 8, 1933.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following descriptionand appended claims,

reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of thisspecification wherein like reference characters designate correspondingparts in the several views.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the front portion of the interior of anautomobile body showing the novel instrument panel in position.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the instrument panel shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial plan view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 in thedirection of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 in thedirection of the arrows.

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understoodthat the invention is not limited in its application to the details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and ofbeing practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to beunderstood that the phraseclogy or terminology employed herein is forthe purpose of description and not of limitation, and it is not intendedto limit the invention claimed herein beyond the requirements of theprior art. The form of the invention illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing comprises an instrument ,panel I surmounted by a rearwardlyoffset or bulged belt panel 2 extending across the car and having itstop formed into an approximately horizontal ledge 3. Thepanel portions 2and 3 may be formed as separate stampings or, as in the presentinstance, may be pressed from a single sheet metal blank. The instrumentpanel, which is under the bulge and offset forward therefrom, isprovided with a pair of openings 4 which are adapted to receiveinstruments 5 or to provide access to storage compartments. The ledge 3,forming the upper surface of the bulge 2, extends forwardly from theface 6 thereof substantially to the windshield 'l. The ledge 3 isprovided with two slots 8, one at each side of the longitudinal centerof the body, these slots forming the openings of elongated finger wells.The sides of each of these wells are formed partly by circumferentialdepending flanges 9 which extend from the ledge 3 into the clearancespace produced forwardly of the bulge or offset 2. Elongated cup-shapedor trough-like members 10 form the remainder of the sides and thebottoms of the finger wells, the upper edges ll of the cup-shapedmembers fitting around and being welded to the depending flanges 9. Thebottoms i2 of the cup-shaped members are far enough below the ledge 3forming the top of the panel portion 2 to allow a,,person to grasp therear edge of the ledge 3 while permitting his fingers to extend at fulllength into the well.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided an ornamentaland useful instrument panel having hand grips which form a fixed part ofthe instrument panel and which are inconspicuous. These hand gripsfacilitate getting into and out of vehicles and are especially usefulwith the seats in vogue at the present time.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle body, a transverse member located in the rear of andadjacent the windshield and associated with the instrument panel, saidmember having a horizontal portion vertically slotted, located above theinstrument panel, and forming a hand grip portion.

2. In a vehicle body having a front end including side pillars defininga windshield opening, a panel extending transversely between saidpillars in the rear of the windshield and having a horizontal portionvertically slotted to provide hand grips.

3. In a vehicle body having a front end including side pillars defininga windshield opening, a panel extending transversely between saidpillars in the rear 6: the windshield and having an mtegral horizontalportion ,vertically slotted to provide a hand grip. 4, In a vehicle bodyhaving a front end includ 1 ing side pillars deflning a windshieldopening, a

panel extending transversely between said pillars I in the rear 'of thewindshield and having an upper horizontal transverse ledge having a wellproviding a hand grip.

5. A sheet metal grotor vehicle body panel com prising a substantialllyvertical instrument panel and an approximately horizontal ledgeextending across above said instrument panel and in-.

tegral therewith, said ledge having depending wells formed in itssurface, at least part of the provided with a recess adapted to receivethe flngers of a. hand grasping the upper edge of the bulge.

8. An instrument panel for a motor vehicle, comprising a panel formedfrom a sheet metal stamping and having an embossed portion extendingacross said panel, said embossed portion having spaced depressionsformed in its upper surface providing hand grip means.

9. A sheet metal motor vehicle panel comprising a main portion having aspace intended to receive instruments and a bulge extending across thepanel above said space and having an upper horizontal surface providedwith a downwardly flanged elongated opening near the face of the bulgeand a trough-like sheet metal member within said bulge having its upperedge surrounding said depending flange and welded thereto.

10. A sheet metal motor vehicle body panel comprising a substantiallyvertical instrument panel, an approximately horizontal ledge extendingacross above said instrument panel, said ledge having a slot formedtherein surrounded by a depending flange, and a trough-like sheet metalmember below said ledge having its upper edge surrounding said dependingflange and ,1

welded thereto, said slot and trough-like member extending along saidpanel and being close enough to the face thereto to form hand gripmeans.

11. A body panel having an approximately veredge.

JOHN TJAARDA.

